Locking mechanism for purses and the like



March 2, 1937. A. AWISZUS 2,072,076

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR PURSES AND THE LIKE Filed July 15, 1935 /N I ENTOR I ADAM AWISZUS I A TTORNE VS Patented Mar. 2, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR PURSES AND THE LIKE 8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to locking devices and refers more particularly to locking mechanism of the permutation type.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive permutation lock composed of a relatively few simple parts capable of being readily assembled into a compact space and also being of such a nature as to permit the same to be readily manipulated by one familiar with the particular combination.

Another advantageous feature of the present invention consists in the provision of an effective permutation lock embodying mechanism of such a nature as to render it possible to utilize the lock upon relatively small portable articles such as purses, grips and similar containers.

A further object of the present invention consists in the provision of locking mechanism of the character set forth embodying means rendering it impossible to determine the combination by what is commonly known in the art as the feel method.

The foregoing, as well as other objects, will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a purse equipped with locking mechanism embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig- Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view illustrating a portion of my improved locking mechanism;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the construction shown in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the locking mechanism.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, it will be noted that there is illustrated in Figure 1 a purse or handbag ll] of the type equipped with a flap I I arranged to overlie the front wall l2 of the handbag and close the usual opening provided in the top of the latter to permit access.

50 to the interior of the same. In accordance with the present invention the free edge of the flap may be locked to the front wall l2 of the bag by locking mechanism designated generally in Figure 1 by the reference character I3 and re- 55 quiring the knowledge of a certain combination before the same can be manipulated to open the bag.

The locking mechanism l3 comprises a keeper I l secured in any suitable manner to the front 7 wall l2 of the bag and projecting laterally outwar-dly from this wall. As shown particularly in Figure 2 the keeper is provided with an annular groove [5 adjacent the outer end thereof and terminates in a head 6 at the outer end having diametrically opposed projections ll extending into 1 the groove E5.

The mechanism cooperating with the keeper M to lock the flap to the front wall 3 of the bag is carried by the flap adjacent the free end thereof and is housed between a pair of plates disposed 15 upon opposite sides of the flap. The plate at the outer side of the flap is designated in the drawing by the reference character [8 and may be of an ornamental nature, while the plate at the inner side of the flap is designated by the reference 20 character I9, and may be secured to the plate 18 through the medium of the prongs 20. Supported beneath the plate [8 is a pair of discs 2| fixedly secured to the shafts 22 which in turn are journaled in the plate 18 and extend through the plate beyond the same for receiving the operating knobs 23. The discs 2! are disposed in a common plane parallel to the plane of the flap and the distance between the axes of rotation of the discs is sufficiently greater than the diameter of 30 one of the discs to permit the reduced portion of the keeper to pass therebetween. Upon reference to Figure 3 it will be noted that the discs are provided with peripheral recesses 2d adapted to be brought into registration with each other and cooperate to provide an opening of sufficient dimension to permit the head of the keeper I4 to be extended therethrough. The arrangement is such that when the head of the keeper I4 is extended through the opening formed by the cooperating 4O recesses 24 the annular groove l5 in the outer end of the keeper assumes a position in the plane of the discs so that the latter may be relatively rotated by manipulating the knobs to move the recesses 24 out of registration and thereby prevent unauthorized opening of the flap. With the foregoing construction it will be apparent that it is necessary to rotate the discs 2| to the relative positions thereof shown in Figure 5 before the flap l l of the bag can be opened, and in order to permit moving the discs to the above position by manipulating the knobs, the latter may be provided with beads of different color or with indicia predeterminedly selected so that when the knobs are rotated to locate certain of the beads or other indicia on the knobs adjacent each other the peripheral recesses 24 will register allowing the keeper to be withdrawn from between the discs. In the present instance, beads '25 of a different color are secured in any suitable manner to each of the knobs and are arranged on a radius determined from the axes of the knobs so as to permit the beads to be successively moved to positions adjacent each other.

In order to prevent determining the required relative positions of the knobs to register the recesses 2t by the trial method the peripheries of the discs are serrated and cooperate with the projections ii on the keeper to prevent rotation of the discs by the knobs when a force is applied tending to withdraw the keeper from between the discs in the operative position of the latter.

Thus from the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided a relatively simple inexpensive permutation lock device capable of being installed in a relatively compact surface and embodying means rendering it impossible to determine the required combination by the trial method. It should also be understood that while in describing the present invention particular stress has been placed upon the use of the lock mechanism for handbags, the same may be advantageously utilized in connection with various other like articles requiring some form of latch or look mechanism and accordingly the specific illustration noted herein should not be considered as limiting the scope of this invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a locking device, a pair of relatively rotatable discs having peripheral recesses registrable in one relative position of the discs to form an opening, a keeper having a portion receivable in the opening and having another portion cooperating with the discs upon relative rotation of the discs to move the recesses out of registration to prevent withdrawing the keeper, and means preventing relative rotation of the discs during the application of any force tending to withdraw the keeper.

2. In a locking device, a keeper, a pair of relatively rotatable members cooperating with the keeper in one relative position thereof to prevent movement of the keeper and in another relative position to permit movement of the keeper, and means preventing relative rotation of the members during the application of any force tending to withdraw the keeper.

3. In a locking device, a pair of relatively rotatable discs having peripheral recesses registrable in one relative position of the discs to form an opening, a keeper having a head portion insertable through the opening and cooperating with the discs upon relative rotation thereof from the aforesaid position to prevent withdrawal of the keeper, and means preventing the relative movement of the discs required to register the recesses during the application of any force tending to withdraw the keeper.

4. In a locking device, a pair of relatively rotatable discs having peripheral recesses registrable in one relative position of the discs to form an opening, a keeper having a head portion insertable through the opening and cooperating with the discs upon relative rotation thereof from the aforesaid position to prevent withdrawal of the keeper, and projections on the keeper engageable with projections on the discs upon relative displacement of the keeper and discs in a direction to withdraw the keeper from between the discs when the recesses aforesaid are out of registration.

5. In a locking device, a pair of relatively rotatable discs having peripheral recesses registrable in one relative position of the discs to form an opening, a keeper having a head portion insertable through the opening and cooperating with the discs upon relative rotation thereof from the aforesaid position to prevent withdrawal of the keeper, means concealing. the keeper and discs, knobs exposed by said means for rotating the discs and having means thereon indicating the relative positions of the knobs required to register the recesses, and means preventing rotation of the knobs during the application of any force tending to withdraw the keeper when the recesses are out of registration.

6. In a locking device, a pair of relatively rotatable discs having peripheral recesses registrable in one relative position of the discs to form an opening, a keeper having a reduced portion adapted to be inserted between the peripheries of the discs and having a head portion beyond the reduced portion insertable through the opening formed by the recesses in the discs when the latter are in the aforesaid relative positions, means for relatively rotating the discs to move the recesses out of registration and thereby prevent withdrawal of the head portion from between the discs, and means preventing rotation of the discs by the aforesaid means during the application of any force tending to withdraw the keeper when the recesses are out of registration.

'7. In a locking device, a keeper having a head portion, a pair of relatively rotatable disks disposed in a common plane at right angles to the plane of the keeper, said disks having a plurality of peripherally spaced extensions continuing around a portion of the periphery thereof, said disks having peripheral recesses therein registrable in one relative position to form an open-,

ing for the head portion of the keeper, means concealing the keeper and disks, knobs exposed by said means for rotating the disks and having means thereon indicating the relative position of the knobs required to register the recesses, projections on the head of the keeper engaging the spaces between the peripheral extensions of the disks to prevent rotation of the knobs during application of any force tending to withdraw the keeper when the recesses are out of registration.

8. In a locking device, a pair of relatively rotatable disks disposed in a common plane and having a plurality of peripherally spaced extensions around a portion of the periphery thereof, said disks having peripheral recesses therein registrable in one relative position to form an opening, a keeper having a reduced portion adopted to be inserted between the peripheral extension of the disks and having a head portion beyond the reduced portion insertable through the opening formed by the recesses in the disks when the latter are in the aforesaid relative position, means for concealing the keeper and the disks, means for relatively rotating the disks to move the recesses out of registration and thereby prevent withdrawal of the head portion from between the disks, projections on the head portion of the keeper to engage the spaces between the extensions on the disks during application of any force tending to withdraw the keeper when the recesses are out of registration.

ADAM AWISZUS. 

